The Current Situation – February 2008
Since being found in wild abalone, at Port Fairy in May 2006, the virus has spread rapidly.
- Almost 200 kilometers of Victorian Coast affected, with no signs of weakening.
- Consistent movement of 5 to 10 km per month.
- Disease has devastated one Marine Sanctuary, active adjacent to the Discovery Bay Marine National Park in the west and The Arches Marine Sanctuary in the east.
- Within a few kilometres and bearing down on the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park also on the eastern front.
- Millions of abalone dead, up to 95 per cent mortality in some populations.
- Appears to spread readily through water, and on seaweed.
- Effects Blacklip, Greenlip and Hybrid (farmed) abalone.
- At least 2 of the recent long distance Virus movements have been to land based, ocean access points.
- No active monitoring of virus being undertaken by DPI.
- All areas outside of the small control zone are still able to be harvested by commercial and recreational divers.
URGENT ACTION NEEDED
- Government to work with abalone industry
- Public awareness campaign
- Zoning of State for Disease
- Stopping forward Transmission of Virus
- Restrict commercial and recreational diver access to disease affected areas.
- Ban on moving live abalone from Western Victoria to open circuit holding tanks
- Active Government monitoring
- More sites monitored on the coast
- Restore effective policing of abalone thieves
- Plan for recovery of native abalone populations
- Proper scientific monitoring and research
